“It all started when Maciek was one year old,” says Krystyna Sadowska from Nowa Wieś (Nowogrodziec commune), the boy’s mother. The child stopped responding to his name and stopped speaking. At first, specialists downplayed the symptoms. He was diagnosed with delayed speech development. It was not until April 2007 that experts from Wrocław determined that Maciek had autism.
The boy is almost five years old. He receives speech therapy. In December last year, he started attending a mainstream preschool. “They did not want to accept him until I found a qualified caregiver,” Mrs. Krystyna complains. But she admits that ever since her son started preschool, he has changed completely. “His first words appeared,” Mrs. Krystyna says emotionally. Maciek is increasingly saying “mama” and “dada”.
The progress is truly significant. The boy used to get angry easily. Now he has calmed down. “He wants people to take care of him and spend time with him. And he is terribly drawn to other children,” Mrs. Krystyna says. He does not need to be persuaded to go to preschool at all. “He gets up and dresses himself,” the boy’s mother says. – “But he still needs to be supervised; he cannot be left unwatched”.
Maciek’s parents tried many methods to help their son. One of them was hippotherapy (rehabilitation sessions with horses). Maciek liked it so much that the Sadowskis bought him a rocking horse. “My son now pushes himself along with his legs and travels around the apartment this way,” Mrs. Krystyna says with a smile.
As the boy’s mother points out, 15% of children recover from autism. According to specialists, Maciek has a good chance of overcoming the condition. “We are fighting for him all the time,” his mother emphasizes. – “Now, while he is still little, we can help him the most”.
Treatment, care and rehabilitation stays are expensive. Maciek’s parents ask people to donate 1% of their income tax for their son. All that is needed is to enter the following in the appropriate section of the tax return: Krystyna Ciołkosz Foundation “Za szybą”, number KRS: 0000252666. It is essential to add: For Maciej Sadowski.
(information ii)